Hindus to break ground for temple

STOCKTON - Followers of one of the world's oldest religions, Hinduism, are finally building a temple in one of California's oldest and diverse cities.

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By Kevin Parrish

recordnet.com

By Kevin Parrish

Posted May. 9, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By Kevin Parrish
Posted May. 9, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

STOCKTON - Followers of one of the world's oldest religions, Hinduism, are finally building a temple in one of California's oldest and diverse cities.

A ground-breaking and dedication ceremony for Shiva-Vishnu Temple is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday at 4715 Foppiano Lane in Stockton's unincorporated Morada neighborhood.

"It is very important for us, and I am very excited," said Satish Shukla, temple acharya or priest. "This will be a place where the Hindu community can sit together, pray to God, show happiness, help those looking for help or education about peace, love and truth."

Sunday's ceremony is known as Bhoomi Poojan. In Hindu culture, Bhoomi is the Hindu goddess mother earth. Before the start of construction, usually a Bhoomi Poojan is performed to obtain mother earth's good will and to ask forgiveness for disrupting animal life.

"We want to be kind and respectful before we start," the 49-year-old Shukla said. He came to Stockton nine months ago from central India to lead the temple.

Stockton-area Hindu followers have been meeting in a residence on the two-acre Foppiano Lane property.

The temple will represent San Joaquin County's second Hindu congregation. A small group known as the Shri Paramhans Advait Mat Hindu Temple meets weekly in a Clover Road storefront in Tracy.

It is uncertain how many Hindus live in the county. The Stockton group ranges from 70 to 100 worshippers; the Tracy congregation is smaller.

"We are expecting to grow," said Jimmy Naidu, a building contractor who has lived in Stockton for 28 years. Naidu also is secretary of the Stockton Hindu Cultural and Community Center.

He has been working with San Francisco-based Iyer & Associates on an architectural design for the 8,000-square-foot temple. The hope is for an 18-month construction phase and to purchase 4 adjacent acres.

Shukla will conduct Sunday's hourlong ceremony. Music and dinner will follow. He expects Hindus from Fiji and several regions of India to participate.

Once complete, the temple will also be a place for special rituals involving Hindu holidays, birthday celebrations and weddings. In addition to a place of worship, the temple will include community, cultural and yoga centers.

"It is important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations," said Rajan Zed, Reno-based president of the University Society of Hinduism. "I hope this temple complex will focus in this direction."

Hinduism, predominant in India and Nepal, has about 1 billion followers worldwide and 1.5 million in the United States. It is the world's third-largest religion, after Christianity and Islam.

The planned Stockton temple's name is devoted to two Hindu deities:

» Shiva: The supreme god within Shaivism, one of the three most influential denominations within Hinduism.